The conventional winding and setting mechanisms comprise a set of two levers, the setting-lever and the yoke, acted upon by springs, and a clutch-wheel mounted on a square of the stem and actuated by the yoke. Owing to the Breguet toothings provided on the inner face of the winding-pinion and on the outer face of the clutch-wheel, this arrangement allows the ratchet-wheel to be rotated in a single direction when the winding-stem is rotated back and forth in winding position. In addition, when the stem is pulled out into its outermost position, it becomes coupled to the setting-wheel via the clutch-wheel. These conventional mechanisms proved their worth for many years, but with the development of watches equipped with calendars or other devices which needed to be operated by hand under certain circumstances, it became necessary to modify them in order to have them perform new control functions obtained, for example, in an intermediate position of the stem.
Moreover, the tendency towards simplification of manufacturing and fitting operations has militated against the use of springs made of fine wire for causing the yoke to function and against the machining of Breguet toothings on the clutch-wheel and winding-pinion, above all in the case of mechanisms capable of performing other functions besides winding and setting.
It is an object of this invention to provide a winding and setting mechanism which does not comprise any parts having Breguet toothings nor any spring-wire, which lends itself to efficient manufacture and fitting, and which can, moreover, be used not only for performing the two operations of winding and setting but also for carrying out other operations in addition.
To this end, the winding and setting mechanism according to the present invention further comprises a transmission-pinion integral in rotation with the stem but held in a fixed axial position and in permanent engagement with the crown-wheel and the setting-wheel, a bolting device controlled by the setting-lever for keeping the crown-wheel disengaged from the ratchet-wheel when the stem is in the setting position, and a connecting element controlled by the stem for uncoupling the setting-wheel from the minute-wheel when the stem is in the winding position.